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Scientists deprive bees of sleep

I understand that it was a scientific study, designed to gather useful data. However, the technique doesn't seem particularly kind. Especially since the sleep-deprived bees were more prone to get lost on their way home from an unfamiliar location. I am wondering if the study has any real value. Any thoughts on this?

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

We live in an age where people seem to be getting less and less sleep, and more dependent on caffeine and energy drinks/pills in order to stay awake and perform. If they can correlate that the function of memory in bees and humans is similar, then I can see value in doing research on how sleep deprivation impairs memory.

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

I read the article with interest. Many thanks for reference.
It is good article. There is phenomenon called "memory consolidation". It's happening during the sleep in animals. The idea is that in sleep the memories are tested for meaningfulness - useful stuff moved into more permanent memory (consolidation) and random, unimportant stuff kept in short-term memory and may be eventually eliminated. Apparently, bees are animals and have the same mechanism of memory consolidation. It is very cool!

Regarding "sadism" - I do not understand those people - did they eat only air and water? Did they ever eat meat or just salad? If you cut lettuce from the root - you kill it of coarse... if you eat grains - you kill a baby-plant, which is carefully planted by Mother Nature in each seed!

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

Originally Posted by cerezha

I read the article with interest. Many thanks for reference.
It is good article. There is phenomenon called "memory consolidation". It's happening during the sleep in animals. The idea is that in sleep the memories are tested for meaningfulness - useful stuff moved into more permanent memory (consolidation) and random, unimportant stuff kept in short-term memory and may be eventually eliminated. Apparently, bees are animals and have the same mechanism of memory consolidation. It is very cool!

Regarding "sadism" - I do not understand those people - did they eat only air and water? Did they ever eat meat or just salad? If you cut lettuce from the root - you kill it of coarse... if you eat grains - you kill a baby-plant, which is carefully planted by Mother Nature in each seed!

Tilling soil to grow vegetables kills or otherwise impacs small field animals, worms, etc. and/or deprives them of their habitat. Pesticides and fungicides used to grow vegetables and fruits kill/impact/destabilize microbial populations. There is no free lunch!

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

I bet you thought they were going to close Gitmo, improve the economy, job market, housing market, and health care too. It was not too long ago there were protests in the cities and capitals over the chaos of the last couple years. Reminds me of an old commercial - this is your brain and this is your brain on drugs, now it is this is learning economics and politics on cocaine and marijuana and this is putting that learned person in charge.

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

Originally Posted by AmericasBeekeeper

I bet you thought they were going to close Gitmo, improve the economy, job market, housing market, and health care too. It was not too long ago there were protests in the cities and capitals over the chaos of the last couple years. Reminds me of an old commercial - this is your brain and this is your brain on drugs, now it is this is learning economics and politics on cocaine and marijuana and this is putting that learned person in charge.

Sounds like your trying to get in to politics which is forbidden here. But since you brought it up... It is true they did not close Gitmo, they have improved the economy, job market, housing markets and health care. The rest of your comment make little to no sense. But both of our comments will likely be removed soon anyways, so I guess it does not matter.

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

Thanks to everybody for your input. I guess I was being a little too sensitive. Jdmidwest and wayne's comments helped the most to get through my thick skull and give me a better perspective (but I appreciate the other contributions too).

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

Originally Posted by AmericasBeekeeper

I bet you thought they were going to close Gitmo, improve the economy, job market, housing market, and health care too. It was not too long ago there were protests in the cities and capitals over the chaos of the last couple years. Reminds me of an old commercial - this is your brain and this is your brain on drugs, now it is this is learning economics and politics on cocaine and marijuana and this is putting that learned person in charge.

I could not believe that some people are seriously think this way... is it a brain atrophy or what? We are using the results of very hard work of many people - Internet, cars, drugs, electricity etc. Did you produce anything beneficial to society at large?

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

Jeanette

You're wrong to apologise.
The purpose of the forum is to facilitate discussion on bee related issues.
While interesting, I personally don't see a lot of value in the study.
I hate being sleep deprived.
But you never know, like Sergey says, our society builds on the work of others.
I worked in a lab years ago, and our mantra was "steal shamelessly" (and footnote accordingly).
It may be of some use to someone...especially with the internet...

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

When people put animals before the human race, there is no good outcome.
Case in point, Timothy Treadwell spent endless hours in the outback of Alaska trying to defend brown bears from hunting, only to meet his demise............yup, him and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by a brown bear.

Dogs will sometimes bite their owners out of either aggressiveness or protection.
Bulls will charge the had that feeds them sometimes.
And yes, the very bees that we provide homes for and nurture will stung without provocation sometimes.

Maybe I'm just hard hearted, but I will never risk my life for an animal nor risk my kids lives over an animal and if studies can be performed on animals that will someday save a life, then go for it.

Re: Scientists deprive bees of sleep

Originally Posted by BeeGhost

When people put animals before the human race, there is no good outcome.
Case in point, Timothy Treadwell spent endless hours in the outback of Alaska trying to defend brown bears from hunting, only to meet his demise............yup, him and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by a brown bear.

He was trying to be one with the bears. The easy way was to get inside one and see how it feels to be one.